By H.K. Petschel
Nonfiction, 104 pages, 11″ x 8.5″ softcover

ISBN 978-1-495967-94-8 • $40

Conventional wisdom states that the first U.S. Postal counterfeit appeared in 1894. Maybe this was the first … maybe not. Inked Print: United States Postal Counterfeits Illustrated provides reproductions of scores of historical counterfeits and an amazing collection of rare and original documents cataloging the product of the crime of stamp counterfeiting.

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By H.K. Petschel
Nonfiction, 209 pages, 6″ x 9″ softcover

ISBN 978-1-879628-46-5 • $28

In this, his third book on the subject, author H.K. Petschel uncovers the next phase in the history of stamp counterfeiting, when it fell into the dark underworld of organized crime, from 1940 up to the present day. More Stamp Counterfeiting: The Perfect Crime follows up Stamp Counterfeiting: The Evolution of an Unrecognized Crime, which documented stamp counterfeiting’s origins with mom-and-pop type crooks in 1894 to its progression into organized crime by 1940. A former postal inspector, Petschel’s professional background and lifelong fascination with these “little bits of paper” come through in this latest, enthusiastic look at the historical record of stamp swindles.

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By H.K. Petschel
Nonfiction, 183 pages, 6″ x 9″ softcover

ISBN 978-0-615-50885-6

Stamp Counterfeiting: The Evolution of an Unrecognized Crime looks into an intriguing crime that originated in Chicago in the 1890s, when the United States was experiencing one of its economic meltdowns. A time and environment that attracted charlatans and crooks, the so-called Gilded Age drew people to the cities where they attempted to make their fortune, some by nefarious means such as counterfeiting stamps.

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By H.K. Petschel
Nonfiction; 188 pages, 6″ x 9″ softcover

ISBN 9781879628526 –

You Can’t Make This Stuff Up. This is a mixture of stories. Not all criminals are total idiots nor are all law enforcement agents of heaven. These are stories both of success and failure. In some cases, this is an airing of dirty laundry; stories that I and many others who carried a badge wanted to forget. We should not forget these events and, just maybe, we can learn from the past. More »